Prosecution, defense lay out cases; first witnesses called

After a jury was selected and seated during the morning, opening statements in the Jason Assad trial were heard at Cheyenne County District Court on Wednesday afternoon.

Assad is on trial for charges of terroristic threatening, first-degree false imprisonment, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, use of a weapon to commit a felony and habitual criminality.

In his opening remarks, Cheyenne County Attorney Paul Schaub said a man warming up his vehicle on the morning on Sept. 14, 2014, heard a woman’s scream coming from the El...